I have been using MagicDraw/SysML to support teaching design of logistics systems–warehouses, factories, supply chains–for about 15 years. I’m exploring transitioning to Arcadia, as I already teach the RFLP design methodology. However, at the moment I’m stymied in trying to model material flows in Arcadia. Producing a product in a factory or an order in a warehouse involves transforming discrete units of material, transporting, assembling, etc. I think I see how to use capability modeling, functional modeling and logical modeling in Arcadia, but I am struggling with modeling the physical objects that flow through the system of interest and are transformed by it. I would really appreciate any insight that experienced Arcadia practitioners might have.
Hi,
My experience is following: preparing a PoC for a complex product, I founded a second project to describe manufacturing process: Then the product is represented by an exchange item (you may have several) which is typed by a class. In the class you may add as many properties as you want. Classes may have a state/mode machine where you can describe some configurations.
In this kind of model, manufacturing operation is a function, allocated to a behavior component which can be named after kind of processing (machining/stamping/transporting…) and tool/facility is component node. Physical links are conveyors. About kind of product, I would say discrete product (or countable) would be shared data, and continuous ones (metal profiles; liquids; gas…or sand) would be flows. I would suggest after each manufacturing operation, the EI changes to reflect new state, but could refer to same class pending on the existence of a main flow in the MBOM tree.
About assembly: classes may have composition relations which should help. EI can represent any kind of scraps to dispose out from the process.
Active manufacturing (when the product participates to its own manufacturing) may have to be represented on product model to describe better the exact action of the product and the machine. In this case, I would list active pump during filling up an hydraulic circuit, downloading softwares , autotune…
Hello,
I am doing MBSE for my master’s thesis on a robot that has to pick up and move entities, sometimes taking one entity physically through another entity. I am having trouble representing this, can you please point me in the right direction? If you would be willing to have maybe a 30min zoom call with me to explain a few things I would appreciate it!
Thanks. This was a great hint. I’m now working through a couple of warehouse design cases. I think I’m going to like Capella, once I get comfortable with all the different diagram types. Roques’ book has been an enormous help as well. It’s sad that there is not a broader range of “how to” books for Arcadia/Capella.
Sounds like two different kinds of operations–a move by the robot alone, and a move that requires the robot and this other resource. Or a move that is really two moves–one involving the robot and one this other resource. Think about the transformations first and then their realization as operations/functions, and then how they are hosted by a resource.
Thanks for the reply. I am having trouble with the systems analysis. I am also working on a warehouse! Would it be possible for you to share an example model with me or something of the sort I am still a little lost, I am not sure how to model one entity being inside another or moving inside another in the Exchange Scenario diagram.
Perhaps if you could provide a description of the specific transformation you want to model, I might be able to offer some suggestions.